(200) Lang Amphitheater—a 126-seat high-tech lecture space, is named for Jerome ’65 and Ramona Larsen (’65) Lang, longtime Lincoln business owners, whose lead gift was in addition to their support for many other Union College projects—including driving his private coach bus half-a-million miles over 46 years to transport school groups for academic and extra-curricular events.

Jeff Leeper is Union College's new vice president for Financial Administration.

Gary Bollinger recently retired after 22 years as Union College's vice president for Financial Administration.

After 22 years as a Union College administrator, Gary Bollinger, Union’s vice president for Financial Administration, retired in October and turned the financial reins of the college over to Jeff Leeper, who for the past 13 years has been the assistant dean for Financial Affairs at Loma Linda University School of Nursing.

The Union College Gymnaires will hold a reunion during Homecoming 2015.

“I really like our theme: one team, one focus,” said Cindy Spaulding ’92, assistant coach of the Union College gymnastics team since 1988. “To me, we’re always going to be one team no matter which year it is. If we’re all one team and always keep Christ at the center of our lives, everything is going to be fine.”

As I write this, I am looking forward to having a wonderful time with friends and colleagues at our annual employee Christmas party. Events like this are an important part of forging a community. Even the ancient philosopher Plato advised communities to eat together, going so far as to recommend communal meals be a constitutional requirement for cities.

The Unionaires, along with several other college performance groups will be featured in the annual Union College Christmas Concert on Friday, Dec. 13.

The Union College Division of Fine Arts will present the annual Christmas concert on Friday, December 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the College View Church sanctuary.

The event will feature the Chamber Orchestra, the Concert Winds, the Unionaires, “The Twelve” chamber choir and the Guitar Ensemble. New on the program this year will be the V7, a student-led vocal ensemble that focuses on sacred vocal jazz. “We will present music of the season in all its variety and joy,” promised Dr. Dan Lynn, professors of music and director of the vocal groups.

Union College IRR instructor Aaron Kent gives a vaccination to a resident of Tacloban. He and his wife, Lauren, and four IRR graduates are back home after spending six days working in the Philippines.

Update

November 27, 2013

Aaron and Lauren Kent returned to Lincoln today after spending six days on the ground in Leyte Province of the Philippines on a Disaster Medical Assistance Team.

Both instructors in Union College’s International Rescue and Relief program, the couple and four graduates of the IRR program made the trip with Team Rubicon to assist the residents of the devastated region.

Once upon a time, when camels and nomads roamed the sands of Arabia, and Turkish sheikhs amassed great wealth and harems, a small group of Muslims known in the west as Whirling Dervishes devoted their days to the poetic expression of the meaning of life.

"Metaphor of Self," a mosaic on canvas by design student Brittney Lippincott, is one of the pieces created by students in Union's Design I class now on display in the McClelland Art Gallery.

“Displaying one’s work in an exhibit is a way by which students can develop their artistic skills and experience,” explained Julia Noyes, whose Design 1 class is scheduled to display their exhibit of 60 works of art in Union College’s McClelland Art gallery now through Nov. 30. The pieces include hanging mobiles, two-dimensional pieces—some computer generated—and three-dimensional sculptures. Each student has at least two pieces on display in the gallery.

The new science and mathematics center will be named the Krueger Center for Science and Mathematics thanks to a leadership gift by Sue and Calvin Krueger.

For Sue Krueger, Union College runs in the family. “It seems like we’ve had family attending there forever,” said the 1954 alumnus who now has two grandchildren enrolled. “I got my husband, Calvin, at Union. My son, Rick, found his wife, Valeree, there. She has taught nursing at Union for 35 years. My sister-in-law, Marilyn McArthur, was chair of the nursing program for many years. All my children attended. We have a long history at Union.”

In celebration of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination’s 150th anniversary, the Union College Library is hosting a traveling exhibit featuring an overview of Adventist history from its roots in the Millerite Movement through the growth of its many ministries which reach worldwide today. While the name Seventh-day Adventist was chosen in 1860, it was not until May 20 and 21, 1863 that the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists was formed, providing the church with a formal organizational structure.

For senior Gymnaire captain Spencer Way, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is not merely a month of occasional, distant reminders of the presence of one of the many forms of cancer. It is a chance to fight back against the disease that nearly took one of his own loved ones.

“My family and I used to participate in breast cancer walks even before my mom had cancer,” said Way. “But after that, the awareness month has become a way for us and others to show our comradery for people dealing with breast cancer.”

On Sunday, October 20, at 7:00 PM the Union College Library will be once again be turned into a site for interfaith dialogue with the viewing and discussion of the HBO documentary Koran by Heart. This dynamic film follows the journey of three ten-year-olds from different countries to Cairo, Egypt for the the Egypt International Holy Koran Competition where they must each recite the entire Qur’an from memory to a panel of judges on live television and radio. Held on the holiest day of Ramadan, this is the oldest and most prestigious Qur’an competition.

Sometimes, it feels great to be wrong. That’s the sentiment among Union College administrators upon seeing an increase in enrollment after planning budgets assuming another down year. With a headcount of 911 and a full-time equivalency of 843 (up from 881 headcount and 803.3 FTE last year), being wrong means a growing student body and new opportunities.

Union Red Cross Club members Connor Kraegel, Jeremy Howard and Tyler Anderson helped assess the damage left by a tornado south and east of Lincoln on Oct. 3.

Union Red Cross Club members Amy Matsuda and Nate Ingersol were among a team who took a Red Cross shelter trailer to Macy, Neb., after a tornado damaged the area on Oct. 4.

“This was the first time I had actually done damage assessment,” said Connor Kraegel, junior international rescue and relief (IRR) major. “It was very good experience for me to be there with a veteran of the American Red Cross who walked us through the whole process. By the end we were doing it all ourselves.”

"Lady Liberty" by Tim Floyd '05, is one of the many photographs by young alumni on display in the McClelland Art Gallery now through Oct. 20.

Many visitors to the McClelland Art Gallery have used words such as “talent,” “incredible” and “marvelous” in the guestbook to describe the Young Alumni Photography Exhibit currently on display. Themed “Contrast,” this year’s exhibit features a wide array of photographs taken by 12 alumni who have presented their own interpretation of contrast.

International rescue and relief students Conner Kraegel, Jeremy Howard and Tyler Anderson outside a home in Hickman, Neb.

International rescue and relief students joined a team of Red Cross workers assessing damage caused by a tornado on Thursday, Oct. 3.

Union College's International Rescue and Relief program has helped in the aftermath of disasters across the nation and around the globe, but never before quite so close to home. On Friday morning, Oct. 4, the Cornhusker Chapter of the American Red Cross contacted the IRR program requesting students to join their team in assessing damage caused by a tornado Thursday night and checking on the well-being of residents.

This fall, Union College’s two newest programs began the school year in a newly renovated section of the Don Love Building. On Oct. 7, Union held a grand opening for the new facility that now houses the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program and the International Rescue and Relief program. The event on the lawn in front of the new facility and featured comments by Tom Casady, public safety director for the Lincoln Police Department and Susan Epps of the Cornhusker chapter of the American Red Cross.

At convocation on Oct. 1, 2013, classes met to choose new student leaders for this school year. A far cry from the earnest politicking of ASB elections in the spring, class elections are informal affairs. Nominations are made on the spot, and votes are cast by raised hands. As happy as the winners are to be chosen, the unsuccessful candidates often return to their seats with a smile, knowing they have one less thing to worry about.

Elden Ramirez will speaking for the Union College Power Pac weekend starting Thursday, Oct. 3.

For Elden Ramirez, mission work isn’t just his job, it's in his name. “My mom named me after Edlen Ford, an Adventist missionary,” he chuckled. Now as the director of volunteer ministries for the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists, he helps students find ways to experience mission service for themselves.

"Never before had I seen such unaltered beauty and unrestricted kindness from a land and its people. They made us feel welcome, they made us feel special, and they sure showed us a good time."-Joellynn Sheehy

Here, the class is waiting to be transported from Bambangan to Kota Marudu.

Michael enjoyed playing with the children after the harvest festival.

What better way to learn to live as a citizen of the global community than to experience it for yourself? Through taking the Wealth and Poverty class—typically a three-week study tour visiting Hong Kong, China and Malaysia—you’ll discover first-hand alternative perspectives and the disparity in lifestyles that exist around the world.

For Union College student Annie Mullin, giving back to the community is more than something she does for a few hours on Project Impact day. That’s why she and fellow physician assistant students created Dash for Compassion on Sunday, October 6, to raise funds for the free clinic offered by People’s City Mission.